“THE raging controversy over more airport landing space or even a new airport in the South-east just goes on and on without resolution. And still no one in authority will even have a glance at Manston in north Kent.

With a heavy-duty runway of more than 9,000ft (the 10th-longest civilian runway in the country) it can take the largest long-haul jets right now.

It has the hangars, warehouses, maintenance sheds already built. It would need refurbishment and a passenger terminal, plus upgraded fast access to London.

But all this would cost a fraction of the now estimated £60billion for the HS2 rail line and be a vastly greater engine of wealth generation. As our ministers have chauffeur-driven limousines, would it be asking too much for one of them to go down the M2 one day and just have a look?”